A Royai Cinderella Story
by AceOvSpades
Summary: Inspired by Disney's Cinderella but isn't exactly going to happen like the original :D ...if that makes any sense. my first fanfic! rewriting all the chapters i have up right now because i'm not happy with them. sorry everyone it'll be done soon! i hope.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I hope this doesn't suck too bad because this is my first fanfic! (big accomplishment for me cuz i tend to lose motivation halfway through :D) enjoy?**

^( ' u ' )^

The morning sun's rays peeked through the curtains of the small room, shining its light and warmth over the gray walls and a blonde woman, who was curled up in bed still asleep. A loud knock at the door woke up her up. Rubbing the sleep away from her eyes, she reluctantly got up and went to answer the door.

"Elizabeth, wake up!" Opening it, Riza stared straight into the dark menacing eyes of the head butler. He was a tall scrawny man, with a black moustache and a balding head. "Get off of your lazy butt and get to work."

"Yes sir, I'll be right there." Riza closed the door before he could say another word and walked towards the floor length mirror in the corner of the tiny room as she ran her fingers through her blonde tresses to get rid of tangles. After getting most of the tangles out, she ran hands down her faded blue dress in an effort to smooth out the wrinkles that formed while sleeping in it. As she stepped into the tan slippers by the door opened the door to her room and started to head downstairs. At each step she thought back to the nightmare she had last night. They were of the day she had lost her parents to two thieves, both stabbed in the chest repeatedly after refusing to give the thieves all their money. The nightmares used to come every day, but now they only haunted Riza's nights once a week.

Lost in thought, Riza didn't notice that she was nearing the end of the staircase and as a result, she stumbled a bit as she hit the last step. Cursing herself for not paying attention to where she was going, she pushed open the white door that led to the kitchen. Picking up a slice of bread from a basket, Riza headed towards a chef to ask where the breakfasts for the mistresses were. Pointing to a stack of trays by the door, the man grunted a response and continued his job of cooking the food. Picking up the three trays carefully and headed up the stairs. As she headed to their bedrooms she remembered the day she had set foot on the grand estate five years ago. She was only sixteen years old at the time and was hoping to fill in the position of a maid and cook that was advertised in the town newspaper. She had gotten the job and the minute she was told she was hired, the three women of the house started to give her order after order, never letting her have a minute of peace. _At least they gave me a room to live in and food to eat._

Riza set the trays by the women's bedside tables and opened the red velvet curtains in their rooms. A few minutes later she heard her name called. Walking swiftly towards the room from which her name was called, she stepped inside and curtsied low. Standing up straight once more, she could see two women deciding on what to wear from a closet crammed full of dresses of different colors and styles.

"And what do you need help with, Madams?" Riza bowed her head.

"Tie the back of my dress up." The woman, who spoke, Anna, was about Riza's age. She had long black hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall, violet eyes, and full red lips. Riza walked over with her head bent down slightly and began to tie the back of the dark purple dress Anna had put on.

"Tighten the ribbons on my dress while you're at it." Tasha, the second woman, brought her light brown hair to her chest and turned her body so that her back faced Riza. She reluctantly set to work on Tasha's green dress, pulling eat ribbon taught before moving onto the one below it and tying the last one in a small bow at the small of Tasha's back. With their dresses done, Anna and Tasha went down the stairs with Riza following closely behind.

The butler that woke her up that morning walked up to the ladies in front of Riza and told them that their mother was waiting for them in the gardens. After dismissing the butler and Riza, the two girls strode towards the glass doors that led outside.

A knock at the door stopped Riza in her tracks as she made her way to the kitchen. Opening the door, Riza saw a short man dressed in the robes in the color of the Royal Family. Before she could ask who the stranger was, the man handed her an envelope sealed with the seal of the Royal family, a mighty horse reared up on its hind legs ready to trample all in its path. Breaking the seal, she began to read the fancy scrawl on the smooth white paper. "'To the fair maidens of the great kingdom of Amestris, his Royal Highness Travis Mustang requests your presence at his castle on the 11th night of June. His Royal Highness is holding a masquerade ball in honor of his son's, the Prince of Amestris, Roy Mustang's, return from the Northern Lands.'" Riza thanked the man with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and closed the door softly.

"A messenger from the Royal Palace has sent a letter to the Madam." Riza announced softly to the man that stood by the glass doors, who nodded and escorted her in. A woman in a dark purple dress with dark hair highlighted by a few strands of grey raised a dark eyebrow at Riza, who took that as a que to state her business. Riza re-read the letter to the three women in front of her.

After a few minutes of silence from the older woman and excited squeals from Anna and Tasha, the older woman spoke in a low tone. "Well my dear daughters, I guess it is time for us to go schedule an appointment with the dress maker." Riza bowed one last time before handing the letter to one of the other maids. She left the room to head back to kitchen

"Do you need any more help in here?" she asked the kitchen staff.

"Oh, yes please. We seem to have run out of the ingredients needed for this evening's dinner. Would you mind going to the market to buy some things for us?"

"I don't mind at all." Riza smiled softly at the young female chef she spoke to who she later learned was Sarah.

"Oh thank you so much Elizabeth!"

"You're very welcome. Just make a list of what you'll need and I'll be right back. I'm going to grab my cloak."

"Oh, and on your way up can you set the mistresses' afternoon tea on the balcony?"

"Of course I can." Sarah thanked Riza and made her way to the shelf to pick up a silver platter. On it she set a white teapot with blue fish swimming around on the side and a large plate stacked with madeleines. Opening the door to the kitchen while balancing the platter in her arms, Riza headed towards the grand staircase and up to the balcony where the afternoon tea was to be held. On her way she stopped to admire the fine craftsmanship on the staircase. The banister was made of wood and each step was covered in a soft red carpet. Soft murmurs could be heard coming towards her and with the thought of not wanting to be reprimanded by the butler, Riza continued up the steps to her destination.

The balcony where the tea was being held was large. It overlooked the well-trimmed garden below with its various berry bushes, rose bushes, and cherry trees. Taking care not to spill anything, Riza placed the teapot and plate of madeleines on the table and arranged them so that it looked presentable. Finishing her task she tucked the silver platter under her arm, rushed upstairs to her room for her cloak, and headed back down to the kitchen to fetch the shopping list from Sarah.

"I'm off, Sarah!" she called as she walked out the door with a basket and the shopping list in hand. As she walked on the stone path warmed by the sun's rays towards the market, she hummed a calming tune her mother had sung to her as a child. Spotting the large fountain in the center of the town square, Riza sat on the edge of it and stared at her reflection into the cool clear water. Her golden hair fell danced around her face as a soft breeze passed by. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. Surprised by the hand that seemed to come out of nowhere, she punched the person in the stomach.

"Owww…That is some punch you got there." Looking at the man, she saw that he was hunched over holding his stomach, which instantly made her feel guilty. He looked up at her sheepishly with onyx eyes. "Sorry for scaring you, but I thought that you might not have been feeling too good," he said with a timid grin.

~ ( ' o ')~

**Thank you for reading and please please leave me a review! Constructive criticism please because this is only my first ff and I wanna know how I can improve my writing :] there will be a second chapter...just sayin :] **

**-AceOvSpades**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay! I finally got to upload this chapter! Kept getting writer's block on this but I still managed to finish this. Me happy xD Enjoy this next chapter~**

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><p>Forgot to put this in the first chapter so here it is: I do not own FMA(sadly)...<p>

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><p>"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to punch you!" Riza extended her hand and helped the man up. As he brushed himself off, Riza let herself take in the appearance of the man before her. He was a handsome man with a slightly muscular build and short dark hair. He was dressed in a red jacket with a high collar, dark trousers and boots. After rubbing the area where he was punched, he stood up straight and looked at Riza with curious black eyes.<p>

"It's alright. I'm Roy by the way," he said with a gentle smile. He held out his hand to her, which she took hesitantly.

"I'm Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth, huh? What a fitting name for one as beautiful as yourself." Riza flushed a deep scarlet at the comment. She had never been called beautiful before, only plain.

"Judging by the basket you have there, I'd say you were doing some shopping," Roy said as he looked down at the simple wicker basket swaying slightly on her arm.

"Yes, I was."

"Would you mind if I joined you? I don't think it'd be a good idea for a lady to be wandering around alone. Plus I'd like a companion to walk with." Riza nodded and started walking down the cobblestone path away from the fountain and towards the rows of vendors selling their wares. They walked in silence as the blonde haired woman looked for things on a list she put in the basket hanging from her arm. After making sure she bought everything on the list Sarah gave her, she started to browse the variety of trinkets that were being sold. Roy, walking a few steps ahead of her, soon noticed that she was no longer with him. He turned around and heard Riza gasp softly. He looked over at her and noticed that she stopped and was staring at a shiny object nestled in a soft cloth at a stand. Walking over to her, he peeked over her shoulder to see what had captured her attention. It was a silver hairpin with a small hawk, its wings spread, dangling from a thin chain at one end. It was a simple trinket and not very expensive, so Roy decided to buy it for her.

"How much is this?"

"Only fifteen cenz," the old man with a soft smile. Roy nodded and reached into his pocket and pulled out some coins. He handed it to the old man then to Riza who just stared at him all through the transaction. Picking up the hairpin, Roy pressed it into Riza's palm as she finally registered what had just happened. Her amber eyes widened.

"No, I can't accept this!" she said, putting her hands up.

"Come on, Elizabeth. Think of it as a gift from me." She gave him a mock glare and gave in. She had never gotten a gift from a man before, much less a man that she had not even known for very long.

"Fine…" she sighed. Roy grinned and reached for her hand to lead her back to the task at hand.

"Are you going to be attending the masquerade ball at the castle next weekend?"

"I'm not sure…I don't really have an appropriate dress." After a few minutes of silence, Roy started to swing his arm, which still held Riza's hand. Suddenly remembering that she never let go of his hand, she blushed but made no attempt to let go. As they walked down the cobblestone path, Riza started to notice that the stores lining the side of the road got more and more fancy. Roy stopped after a while in front of a dress shop, which caused Riza to stop as well. The wooden building had a purple banner hanging from the roof. It read "Rockbell Dresses" in fancy gold script. Roy led Riza through the large open door and into a room. The walls were a painted a lavender and gorgeous tapestries hung from the walls. A few chairs were set under the tapestries, with two lily plants sitting on a small table. Looking around the well decorated room, Riza asked Roy softly and hesitantly, "What are we doing here?"

"Making sure you can go to the ball," Roy said nonchalantly. A short elderly woman with thick glasses and a pipe hanging from her mouth walked out from behind a doorway half-way covered with a green curtain. She greeted them with a smile as she took the pipe out of her mouth.

"Welcome to Rockbell Dresses. My name is Pinako. How may I help you?"

"I'd like a dress for this beautiful miss here," Roy said, gesturing to the blonde beside him.

Riza blushed at the comment. "Something simple is fine."

"And I'm assuming that this dress is for the ball at the castle?"Pinako looked up at the amber eyed woman as Riza nodded. "Please follow me, miss. My granddaughter will assist you in finding the perfect dress. And you, sir, can wait out here. There really isn't a lot a man can do in a dress shop after all." Riza was then ushered through the doorway by the short woman and into a slightly smaller, but not less decorated, room. "My granddaughter Winry will help you choose a dress," Pinako said as she motioned to a girl no older than fifteen kneeling down and attempting to tailor a red dress to fit on a mannequin. Hearing her name being mentioned, Winry stood up and hung a tape measure around her neck. She had long blonde hair that was tied up into a ponytail and dark blue eyes.

"Hello there. I'm Winry," she said with a kind smile. Riza returned the girl's greeting with a soft smile.

"Well then. Winry you know what to do!" and with that Pinako exited the room.

"Alright then! Let's get started,"Winry said enthusiastically. Before long, Riza found herself buried in dresses of all sizes, styles, and colors.

~(*o*)~

After about an hour of standing in front of mirrors, trying on dresses, and being tangled up in tape measures, Riza finally found the perfect dress.

"You're all set! I just need to wrap this dress up. I must say though, you chose a really nice dress. Very simple, but nonetheless elegant. " Riza thanked Winry, who happily bounded away to wrap the dress. Stepping out of the room where she was looking for a dress, she looked around the main room for Roy. She found him napping in a chair, mumbling something about alcohol and girls.

Walking over to the dark haired man, Riza nudged him gently on the shoulder in an attempt to wake him. "Roy, wake up."

"Mmm...wha? Oh, have you finished choosing your dress already?" Roy mumbled sleepily. Riza nodded.

"Had a nice nap?"

"Falling asleep in a chair isn't very comfortable, but other than that yes." Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Pinako walking out from behind the green curtain with two white boxes tied together with a gold ribbon in her arms.

Riza, seeing that there were two boxes instead of just one, asked Pinako, "Why are there two boxes?"

"The big box has the dress you picked out and the smaller one a mask I decided to throw in as a bonus. It'll look good with the dress, don't worry," the elderly woman reassured.

"Thank you very much." After paying for the dress and the mysterious mask, she walked out of the store with Roy trailing not far behind her.

"Are you going to show me the dress?" Roy asked her.

Riza thought for a few seconds as they walked back towards the white fountain where they met that very morning, while picking up a few last things as they walked past stands stacked with fruits and vegetables. "Not yet," she responded with a smirk.

"Please?"

"Not yet, Roy."

"Pleeease?"

"You'll get to see it at the ball."

"But that's so far away!" he whined.

"Why do you want to know what it looks like anyway?"

"Because."

"Because…?"

"Just because." Riza laughed at his childish reply as she picked up her pace. After deciding that Riza would not show him the dress no matter how much he begged and pleaded. If she wanted to keep it a secret until the masquerade ball, then he would let her. Besides, not knowing what her dress looked like allowed his mind to come up with different styles. The two walked in silence the rest of the way back to the fountain.

"It's getting late. Thank you for accompanying me and for the hairpin." Riza smiled softly at him. "It was my pleasure. I hope to see you at the masquerade ball next week, Elizabeth." He took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips.

"Yes. I hope to see you there as well. Good bye." Riza curtsied and turning swiftly towards the direction of the large white mansion where she grew up and worked, trying to hide the blush that crept onto her face.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading my story. If you have time please review! It makes me happy =D<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry it's so late…My grades haven't been that good lately so I had to take a break from writing and reading fan fics for a bit. But I'm back now and I have a new chapter! Yay! So I hope you enjoy this new chapter!**

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><p>I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. I only own my OCs unfortunately TT o TT<p>

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><p>By the time she got back to the large mansion, the sky had already turned dark. Shutting the door quietly behind her, Riza padded to the kitchen to drop off the groceries she bought before heading up to her small room situated in the far corner of the mansion where all the other maids had their rooms.<p>

Riza locked the door behind her and fell face first onto her twin-sized bed. She let her mind wander back to the dark haired man she had met earlier that day. His name sounded strangely familiar. _Where have I heard that name before?_

Her eyes grew wide in realization and jolted straight up in bed. Now she remembered where she heard, or rather, read the name. Roy's name was on the invite to the masquerade that was delivered by the messenger from the castle. He was the prince, the sole reason why a ball was being held. She couldn't believe it. She had just spent the day with the prince of Amestris and was not even aware of that. In an attempt to calm herself down, she took a few deep breaths. She sat there in silence for a while, debating whether or not to confront Roy about his true identity when she saw him again. Deciding against it, she gave a deep sigh and crawled under the covers. That night, her nightmares didn't come to haunt her dreams. Instead, she dreamt about the prince who had eyes and hair the color of a moonless night sky.

**_v(0 w 0)v_**

The days passed by quickly and soon it was the day of the masquerade! The whole household was abuzz with excitement. All the maids, including Riza, were hard at work helping Anna, Tasha, and their mother with the final touches on their dresses and make up. Earlier that week, the madam had made it clear to the staff that none of them were allowed to the event. At the time Riza was devastated, but soon devised a plan to slip out of the house and make it to the castle unnoticed by anyone. She would make it to the ball and see Roy. After all she did tell him that she'd be there.

The chime of the grandfather clock in the hall struck 5 o' clock, calling to the three mistresses of the house that it was time to depart for the castle. Riza opened the doors for the women as they arrived, curtsying a good bye before shutting it behind them. As soon as the door clicked shut, Riza went to find a butler to tell him that she was not feeling well and was going to turn in early. After finishing with her task, she bolted towards her room when she saw that no one was around to prove her alibi for that night was false.

When Riza got to her room, she closed and locked the door. Kneeling down on the floor, she reached under her bed and pulled out the box that contained her dress. She took the lid off slowly as if the contents inside would break if she took it off too quickly. She gently lifted the garment out of its box and ran her fingers along the fabric of the dress. Riza slipped the dress on, being careful not to step on the fabric that had pooled at her feet like water, and stepped into a pair of white slippers and gloves that Winry had slipped into the box with her dress without Riza's knowledge. Pinako and Winry were too kind to her: first giving her a mask, the slippers then a pair of white elbow length gloves. Zipping the back of the dress up, she went over to the long mirror to fix her hair and her dress

After much deliberation, she settled on pinning strands of her blonde hair in the back of her head in a simple style. Remembering the silver hairpin Roy had bought for her, Riza went to fetch the hair ornament. She had wrapped it in a piece of soft cloth and hid it behind the dresser in case someone came in and decided to have a look around her room. There really was nothing special in there before she got the outfit for the ball except for the small knife she had gotten from her father when she was a young child. The knife was about six inches from hilt to tip, its hilt carved to resemble a dragon with a blade coming out of its fanged mouth. At the moment, she had it strapped to her thigh in the case that she might need it for whatever reason.

After making sure the hairpin was nestled securely in her hair, Riza pulled a rope ladder out from underneath her bed. She had bought it earlier that day, under the cover of needing to buy new needles. She walked towards the window in her room that overlooked the garden on the large estate and opened the window, letting a cool night breeze rush into the stuffy little room. Looking out she saw trees and bushes of all shapes and were illuminated by the soft glow of the moon. Scanning the garden a little more, she saw a large gazebo in the process of being built by what seemed to her like an apple tree. Riza, remembering that she had to act fast for her plan to work, tied down one end of the rope ladder just below the window sill. She tugged on it lightly, checking to see if it would hold. She walked over to the coat hanger by the small wooden door and tucked the mask into a pocket inside of a black cloak she decided to wear on top of her dress, at least until she got to the castle. Quickly stepping back towards the window, she took a deep breath and stepped out onto the first rung of the ladder, then another and another, each time gripping onto the previous rung with her gloved hands. Soon she made it to the ground.

"What to do about the ladder now?" she mumbled to herself. Recalling that she brought her knife with her, she cut the ropes on the ladder as high as she could and dumped the part she cut off in the bushes. She'd come back for it later, but for now Riza could only hope that no one would look up and see part of a rope ladder dangling from an open window in the maids' quarters.

Riza ran towards the stables on the other side of the large garden and saddled up a brown horse that was staring at her curiously with big black eyes. Walking over to the steed, she hoped that she remembered how to ride a horse side-saddle. She had not ridden that way since…she couldn't remember. Maybe she never did ride side-saddle. No matter though. That wouldn't stop Riza, she would just have to ride astride. The dress she was wearing was not that restricting around the legs so it would be possible, just not super comfortable. After mounting the horse, she set it on a slow canter and pulled the hood of the black cloak up around her head and put the mask on. Behind her she heard the rustle of leaves. Riza spun around on her horse and what she saw made her blush a deep crimson. A cook and a maid she did not recognize very well were locked in a kiss, their arms wrapped around each other tightly. Eager to escape getting seen by the couple, she nudged the horse in its side signaling it to go a little faster. When she hit the cobblestone path she again prodded the steed in its side to pick up the pace until it soon was at a full gallop, past the fountain where she had met Roy Mustang the other day and straight towards the large magnificent castle built on the lush green hills of Amestris.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and if you can please leave a review. They mean a lot to me, whether good or bad (preferably good), and they motivate me to write. Probably should have done this earlier but thank you to PokemonFreak90, TheKnightInShiningArmour, and ssadropout for your reviews :) **

**P.S: I'm currently half way through the next chapter so it should be up pretty soon. At least I hope it will... Motivate me! Review please! (' ^ ' )^ **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Phew...It's finally up. _ Sorry I meant for it to be up earlier, but editing turned into rewriting and rewriting turned into 6 pages(aka 3,000 words)... but i have to say i've been looking forward to writing this chapter for a while and it ended up different from how i originally planned it. i still like it though so...yea... well enough with my rambles. i hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

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><p>i sadly do not own fullmetal alchemist<p>

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><p>"Do you really think a ball will help the playboy of Amestris find a wife, Havoc?" A man with green eyes ran a hand through his dark hair, watching the people below him dance around the ballroom.<p>

Behind him a blue eyed man with blonde hair sighed. "Well Hughes…it really wasn't my idea. But I gotta say, the king must have some confidence in this plan of his that it'll work." Maes Hughes chuckled and continued to watch the guests sway to the melodies of the orchestra. His eyes swept over a pillar adorned with a gold tapestry that bore the royal family's crest. Beside it, he spotted a dark haired man surrounded by women in colorful dresses. The man looked up at Hughes and motioned with his finger for him to come down. Hughes raised an eyebrow at him and took slow steps down the flight of stairs that led up to the balcony, leaving Havoc behind.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself, Roy," Hughes said as he approached the dark haired man. He bowed to the women, who in turn curtsied and gave him a smile.

"How can I not? I'm practically surrounded by goddesses." Roy smirked as he put his left arm over a woman in a magenta dress. "Ladies, this is Maes Hughes. He is a prince from a neighboring country."

"Excuse me ladies, but I'm going to borrow the prince for a minute. Would you please excuse us?"

"Of course," they said in unison. Maes gave them one last bow as Roy pouted like a child who could not get the toy he wanted. "And I'm guessing that this is your way of finding your future queen?"

"Finding a queen? What are you-" Maes sighed. He knew Roy was going to forget. "Ohhh…that. Sure I am," Roy combed his gloved fingers through his sleeked back hair.

"Then I wish you luck because I don't think inviting them all back to your bed chamber is going to help you any with your task. But before I leave you, guess what came in the mail yesterday from Gracia? Pictures! She's so pretty! See? See? Isn't she the most beautiful woman in the world? I'm such a lucky man to be married to her. I miss her so much. I know it's only been two days but it feels like forever." Roy sighed as pictures were shoved into his face. Leave it to his best friend to turn something serious into a joke. He pushed the photos away and scanned the crowd, hoping to find the woman that would not leave his mind even for a minute. Noticing that Roy's attention was elsewhere, Maes asked "Who are you looking for?"

Roy looked back at the green eyes of his friend and hesitated in giving him an answer. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a word the loud chattering in the room gradually softened until it was a dull murmur. Curious to find out what was the reason for the sudden hush, Roy tapped a nearby butler to ask what had happened. The butler pointed towards the door, which sent Roy bolting through the crowd and towards the entrance of the ballroom. Maes ran after him, apologizing to the guests he pushed aside in an attempt to catch up with Roy.

Arriving at his intended destination, a smile spread across Roy's handsome face. Standing there was a woman with blonde hair held up with a familiar silver hairpin and amber eyes. He recognized her immediately, even if she was currently wearing a mask.

Maes stopped beside him, hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. He muttered under his breath about stupid princes who had no qualms about leaving a friend behind in his dust. He almost missed the name Roy said under his breath. Something around the lines of Beth perhaps? Not wanting to guess, Maes said "Who?"

"Elizabeth. She's here."

~( ' w ')~

Hopping off her horse, Riza handed the reins to a guard in a navy blue uniform who led the animal off to the side of the gate. He gave her an odd look, bewildered as to why a lady had come on a horse instead of in a carriage. She ignored the man and took a breath. Pulling her hood down she lifted the front of her dress so she wouldn't trip on the fabric and ascended the white steps that led up to the castle. She hoped that she wouldn't make a fool out of herself in front of everyone. After all, she was a maid. She had never been to such an event before. She only ever dreamed about attending one, never believing that such a wish would come true. She finally arrived at the top of the stairs, untying the slender ribbon that held the front of her black cloak together and handed it to a maid standing by the door. The maid gave her a smile and wished that she enjoy herself. Riza thanked her and reached behind her head to make sure the tie for her mask was secure. She didn't want it to slip off and reveal to her madam that she had disobeyed her orders.

Two doormen gave her a low bow and she thanked them with a smile and a nod. The moment she stepped into the large ballroom, she heard the loud chatter of the guests die down to soft murmurs. Riza was, to be honest, a little scared. Did she do something wrong already? Was her dress too simple? Too dull? Was there something wrong with her outfit? Questions raced through her mind as she took timid steps forward.

"Elizabeth," said a deep yet familiar voice behind her. Turning around she saw a pair of familiar onyx eyes looking at her.

"Your Highness." She gave him a soft smile as she gave him a low curtsy, as was customary for those of her status. The crowd gave Riza one last glance before going back to their previous conversations, seeing as that their prince was speaking to the new arrival.

"I'm glad that you made it." Roy gave her a smile, one that was usually reserved for the people he was extremely close to.

"Thank you," she said returning his smile.

"You have no idea," a voice behind him grumbled. Roy elbowed Maes in the ribs and introduced the two.

"This is Maes Hughes, a prince from one of the neighboring kingdoms and a close friend of mine." Maes bowed, Riza returning his action with a curtsy. The three talked for a bit about how nicely decorated for the event and Roy's return. Soon they ran out of topics to talk about and an awkward silence came over them. "So…" Roy started, hands in his pants pockets.

"Well, would you look at the time," Maes exclaimed, looking at his bare wrist. "I think I'll turn in for the night. Have fun you two! And Roy? Don't forget about what we were talking about before."

Roy grumbled a good bye to Maes. He turned to face Riza who was watching Maes as he pranced away into the crowd.

"Is he always like this?"

Roy chuckled. "Yes, he is. You get used to his bubbly personality after a while though." She laughed at his comment, a sound Roy found quite cute. His eyes wandered around the room until they came to a stop on the blonde standing next to him. Under the lights of the many crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling, Roy thought she was the beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had on a white strapless dress with gold thread sewn in along the edges that seemed to make her blonde hair shine. Her mask, still covering the top half of her beautiful heart shaped face, matched her dress, white with gold vines running along the edges of it.

Riza directed her eyes back to Roy, who seemed to be studying her. "Is something wrong with my outfit because I seem to be the current topic of discussion among many people in here?"

"Huh? Nothing is wrong. You just look stunning." A deep blush crept up onto her cheeks. In an attempt to hide the color of her cheeks, she looked down at Roy's black boots.

"Thank you very much. And you look quite handsome yourself," she mumbled, unable to meet his gaze. He did indeed look quite dashing in his outfit, his onyx hair slicked back. He had on a dark red jacket with a high collar, black trousers and boots. A gold double braided cord hung from left shoulder, white gloves covering his hands. "No mask though?"

"No. It seems like a nuisance to wear one." Another awkward silence settled on the two until Roy saw Riza glance timidly at the people swaying in time with the music in the center of the room. "Would you like to dance, Elizabeth?" Roy offered her a gloved hand. She hesitated a bit before putting her small hand in his, nodding. He led her out to the center of the room as guests stepped to the side as their prince and the mysterious woman stepped past them.

The small orchestra started to play a soft melody. Seeing that Riza was a little lost on what to do, Roy put her left hand on his shoulder as his left hand went to clasp Riza's right gently. His right arm went to her waist and soon they began to sway with the slow rhythm of the music. As they danced their bodies came closer together until only an inch of space was present in between their two bodies. Suddenly noticing how close they were, Riza took a step back only to have Roy pull her back, this time a little closer than before.

Roy, suddenly wanting to escape the stuffiness of the room, looked around for the nearest exit to a balcony. Spotting one just a few yards away, he started directing Riza towards it with expert steps. Riza, noticing the change in direction, looked up at Roy to find him looking at her with a soft smile gracing his lips. She returned the gesture and mimicked his steps with ease, letting him take her wherever he wanted to go.

Moments later, they arrived at an unoccupied balcony. Roy kept one arm around Riza's waist as he guided her over to a bench not visible from the doorway. The sounds from the ball inside barely heard from where they were.

Unsure of what to say to the other, the couple sat down and looked out at the view from the balcony. They could see practically the whole city from the balcony they were standing on. There was the clock tower, looming over the smaller buildings as it stood proudly in the heart of the city. Overhead, the moon shone brightly in the night sky as stars twinkled, happy that no clouds blocked their view of the earth.

Riza stood up and untied her mask, clutching it in her hand. She walked towards the marble railing and took a deep breath before breaking the silence. "There's such a nice view of the city from here. You can see almost everything: Pinako's store, the fountain where we first met," she said softly with a sense of nostalgia.

Roy nodded, momentarily forgetting that she couldn't see him, and gazed at Riza who had her back facing him. She looked like an angel, standing there in her white dress under the moonlight. He stood up and went over to her. He put one hand on top of hers and looked out at the city, one small part of the land he would soon inherit his father had told him. At the memory of his father's words, his mind went back to the purpose of the ball. He was supposed to find a wife, someone who would stand by his side and help him govern the country. He glanced over to Riza, who seemed to be in her own world as she gazed up at the clear night sky. 'Could she be the one? The one that would stay by my side? I haven't known her that long though,' he thought. Roy straightened and reached up to put a hand on Riza's chin and turned her head so that she was facing him.

"Your Highness?" she asked, a little skeptical at his action.

"Please, call me Roy," he whispered softly.

"Then call me Riza…Roy." Slowly, Roy leaned closer to Riza until their lips met in a soft kiss. His hands trailed down her arms until they were at her waist, Riza's arms now around his neck.

It took a few seconds before both Roy and Riza could fully register what was happening. When they did, Riza gently pushed Roy away from her, his arms still around Riza and her hands now circling Roy's torso. The two stared at each other wide-eyed, the situation quickly becoming awkward.

A few moments passed in silence. Roy cleared his throat and said in a hushed tone, "You're wearing the hairpin I bought you." He reached up and stroked the hawk dangling from a thin silver chain. Riza nodded and looked down at her feet, not trusting her voice enough to not crack when she spoke. "It looks really nice." She smiled and put her head on his chest. She closed her eyes, listening to the faint thumping of his heart, the steady rhythm calming her down. Her hands clutched the back of his jacket as she breathed in the scent of him, never wanting this moment to end.

She felt Roy's warm breath on her cheek and opened her eyes slowly. She was surprised when Roy leaned in to kiss her again but instead of pushing him away like before she closed her eyes and let him. She reveled in the feeling of security she felt in his embrace and the way his strong arms wrapped around her waist. It felt like a dream, a beautiful dream she never wanted to awake from. Riza felt her hair fall over her shoulders and assumed that Roy had taken out the hairpin. Why he did that, she didn't understand nor did she really want to find out.

She felt his tongue slip into her mouth, his teeth grazing her bottom lip. Finally, they broke apart, both gasping for much needed air. Riza put her head on Roy's chest once again as he rested his head on top of hers.

Riza looked down at the street that ran by the castle with a smile. The night so far was better than she expected and she hoped that it would stay that way. But alas, all good things must come to an end. Exiting the gates of the castle, she noticed a familiar carriage. Remembering that she had to get home before her madams did, Riza shoved herself out of Roy's embrace, sending him sprawling to the ground. Picking up the front of her dress, she dashed back into the ballroom, looking back only to apologize to him.

"Riza?" Roy quickly stood up and ran after her, intent on catching her. "Riza!" he called. He saw her push through the crowd as she made her way to the main entrance. "Riza!" he called again, his cry now attracting the attention of the guests. By the time he made it to the door, she was at the bottom of the steps with a black cloak on and her blonde hair flying behind her like a cape. She grabbed a horse and mounted it with expert skill, riding it into the streets and into the streets not illuminated by the moon. He tried to run after her but he could only go so fast on foot. Spotting a guard with reins still in his hand, Roy snatched them up and mounted the horse. He sent it on a full gallop, intent on catching up to her, and tucked her hairpin into his pocket. Seeing that she had turned the corner, he directed his horse to turn as well, only to find the streets quiet and empty.

He clenched his fists, angry at himself for letting her get away so easily. He took out the hairpin from his pocket and gazed at it. Knowing that he had already created a big scene, he sighed and headed back to the castle, Riza's hairpin still clutched tightly in his gloved hand. Maes, who had heard Roy's voice from a balcony overlooking the ballroom, was standing at the castle gates, waiting with a curious expression on his face.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Maes looked up at Roy, who started to get off the horse.

"I found her, Maes. I found my queen." Roy's gazed was still fixed on the hairpin in his gloved hand.

"Really? That's great! So where is she?" Maes raised an eyebrow at his friend. Roy just looked in the direction he had come from. "Oh," Maes said.

Roy walked back inside the castle and started for the grand staircase that led to the halls, which in turn led to his room. He ignored the ladies who fluttered their eyelashes at him as he passed by, wishing and wanting to be hanging off of his arm like a prize to be shown to the world. Maes trailed after him, staying a few feet away in case Roy decided to vent his anger by punching something or rather someone.

Once they stepped into the dark halls that connected the rest of the castle together, Maes decided that it was safe to ask Roy on the whole story about what happened. "Roy what hap-" He stopped mid-sentence as two large expertly carved doors slammed in his face. Maes sighed and walked away. He knew that when Roy was like this, he wouldn't be able to get any information out of him. "Or I can come back later..."

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><p><strong>sooo...how'd you like it? bad? good? hard to follow? please tell me in a review. they really help me with my writing :) and also i would like to thank Naomi Tachi, maniacslaugh, PokemonFreak90, and Tubby for reviewing the last chapter and those of you who alerted my story. it makes me giggle uncontrollably that people actually like my work :D <strong>

**p.s. i had so many hits on my story but only a few reviewed...what happened guys? D;**

**p.p.s. some of the stuff in this chapter was inspired by Once Upon A Time :3 can you guys guess what and just curious, does anybody watch that show? :D**


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